MUNICH (dpa-AFX) - Ticketing and live entertainment provider CTS Eventim has started the year with significant momentum, posting a sharp increase in both revenue and earnings. The Management Board sees the Group and its two segments performing in line with full-year expectations, a development well-received by investors.
Shares of the MDax-listed company rose by approximately ten percent to 61.85 euros in early Friday trading, comfortably leading the mid-cap index. Despite this rally, the stock has shed a fifth of its value since the start of the year and is down 42 percent over the past twelve months.
Jefferies analyst Henrik Paganetty noted that CTS Eventim delivered solid overall figures and confirmed its annual guidance. He highlighted that Ebitda exceeded consensus estimates by 4 percent, despite negative non-recurring factors.
According to Andreas Riemann of Oddo BHF, the Live Entertainment business provided a positive surprise, while earnings in the Ticketing segment remained stable. Overall, the expert sees little reason for significant adjustments to market expectations, given that full-year targets were reaffirmed.
Lara Simpson of JPMorgan also observed a strong start to the year for the ticketing specialist. She noted that confidence in the company's momentum is rebounding as the live events business continues to strengthen.
In the first quarter, revenue climbed 23 percent to 613.5 million euros, the Munich-based company announced after the market close on Thursday. Ticketing revenue saw a modest increase of 2.5 percent, while the Live Entertainment segment surged 38.3 percent, driven primarily by a higher volume of events.
Adjusted Ebitda (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) improved by 18.5 percent to 118.9 million euros. The margin remained virtually flat at 19.4 percent. On the bottom line, net income attributable to shareholders rose from 46.1 million euros to 63.7 million euros.
CEO Klaus-Peter Schulenberg had issued a cautious outlook for 2026 at the end of March, which triggered a sharp sell-off at the time. For the current year, the Group has projected slight increases in both revenue and adjusted operating profit.
However, the company previously stated that global political crises, economic conditions, and high energy prices are unlikely to deter people from attending shows, concerts, and sporting or cultural events. Nevertheless, a deterioration in the geopolitical security situation, inflation, or a slump in consumer spending could negatively impact business performance.
In 2025, CTS Eventim recorded revenue of nearly 3.1 billion euros with an adjusted operating profit of 584 million euros./jha/err/stk
